Improvement in trunk-stays



M. A. WAAS.

Trunk-Stay. v I N0. 167,809, Patented Sept. 14,1875.

FifiJ-R @itmsses NIIED STATES} "PATENT QFFIGE.

MAURICE A. WAAS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOSEPH F. FIELD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUNK-STAYS.

Specification forming partIof Letters Patent No. 167,809, dated September 14, 1875; application filed August 2, 1875.

cient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figures 1, 2, and 3 are side views of a trunk having my invention applied thereto, and showing different positions thereof. Fig. 4 is a side view of one part of the stay, enlarged.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in a stay which is constructed to hold open the lid of a trunk, and in the event of the lid being accidentally thrown forward, it will be prevented from closing.

Referring to the drawings, Arepresents the body of a trunk, and B the lid thereof. 0 represents the stay, which consists of two parts, D E, which are secured, respectively, to the body A and lid B. The part D consists of an arm, one end of which is pivoted to the lid B, and its other end is formed with a button, E. The part F consists of a plate, in which is formedaslot, at, extending in a curved direction in the direction of the length .of the plate, and a slot, 12 11, extending transversely or at about a right angle to the slot or, and projecting from both sides thereof. The part F will be firmly connected to the body of the trunk, and the button E will be fitted in the slots thereof, thereby connecting the parts D F.

The operation is as follows: When the trunk is closed the button E occupies a position in the bottom of the slot a, the arm D resting aside of the plate F. When the trunk is to be opened the lid is raised and the button E moves in the slot at, and, reaching the slot 1), it drops thereinto, and thus holds open thelid and prevents it falling backward. (See Fig. 2.) If the lid should be accidentally thrown forward the button, moving in the slot 1), jumps the top of the slot or and drops.

connect an arm or clip to the lid. A plate having an axis will swing forward when the lid is accidentally struck, and thus close the lid. A plate having an axis will swing backward and permit the lid to stand far to the rear, thus causing the trunk to overturn; but

in my invention the accidental forward movement of the lid will be unfailingly checked by the button in the slot of the plate, which is immovably connected to the body of the trunk,

and the same feature will limit the opening movement of the lid, so that the latter will stand at a right angle to the body at its extreme open position.

I therefore claim- As an improvement in the art, the lower plate F, rigidly connected to the body of the trunk, and having a longitudinally-extending slot, at, and slotsbb, projecting laterally therefrom, in combination with' the upper arm D, pivoted to the lid and formed with a button, E, all constructed, arranged, and operating as herein shown and described.

M. A. VVAAS.-

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, M. VOORSAB, Jr. 

